Article courtesy: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-04/women-in-trades-employment-female-career-prospects-upskill/104470156
Women working in male-dominated industries are proving anything’s possible when given the chance, and it could be the answer to Australia’s ongoing skills shortage.
Single mother-of-two Vanessa Collins took the career change plunge in the wake of personal tragedy.
The Gladstone mum lost her partner to suicide seven years ago, picking up a second job to make ends meet. But being a cleaner on a mine site meant Miss Collins needed a white card, which she couldn’t afford.
“I was stuck … I hadn’t been going to work because I was sort of depressed, and I was like ‘where am I going to get this money from?’,” she recalled.
“I had been in bed for what felt like three months.”
Vanessa Collins said the career change, and opportunity to study alongside women she now calls friends, changed her life. (Supplied)
The stars aligned when she heard about CTC’s Women in Construction program, which included a white card among other training. Despite initial anxiety about her age, the 35-year-old was drawn to the 11-week course and now credits the experience for turning her life around.
She was surrounded by other mothers, some returning to the workforce and others just looking for a change, all ranging in age and experience.
“I really looked forward to going every day, because we all got along great and there wasn’t a lot of pressure … we didn’t feel like we’d get in trouble for asking stupid questions,” Miss Collins said.
Brisbane’s Toni Hillman also found her passion in a male-dominated industry, with her “if he can do it, I can do it” mentality earning the 32-year-old a recent award for industry excellence.
The plumbing inspector’s childhood was spent helping out on her grandparents’ farm, where Ms Hillman remembers being treated as an equal to her male cousins.
“We were all hands-on, and it turned into something fun because we could see what we achieved at the end of the day,” the Calamvale tradie said. Growing up, one thing became clear: “I just knew I didn’t want to sit in the office”.
“I gave it a go and, from the first day of work experience, I absolutely loved it. I knew it was for me,” she said.
With women making up only two per cent of Queensland’s plumbing industry, Ms Hillman has been advocating for greater female participation ever since starting her apprenticeship 16 years ago.
Changing perceptions
Volunteering as a National Association of Women in Construction mentor, Ms Hillman has visited schools and TAFE campuses to open students’ minds to the idea of a career in plumbing.
“You change their mind, you give them a little insight of what the industry is actually all about, and it’s not as scary or disgusting as some would say,” she said.
“There are so many people who have the perception that plumbing is gross, I have not once been grossed out through my apprenticeship or my trade.”
Miss Collins agreed, noting a need to understand what trade opportunities exist.
“Just not knowing what it is, like if someone said to me ‘have a go at being able to weld something’, I’d probably actually give it a shot to experience what it actually is,” she said.
She thinks better integration in school curriculums would help.
Addressing the skills shortage
Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland chief executive Penny Cornah said the need for access to clean water and sanitation facilities meant plumbers had “a job for life”.
Despite the job security, a lack of qualified tradies was being felt throughout Australia, and Ms Cornah said regional areas were doing it particularly tough.
“The skill shortage issue is very real, and members talk to us all the time about issues — I have heard of some businesses where they recruit their son or daughter and their wife, they’re all getting involved in the trade industry to make their business sustainable for the future,” she said.
“100 per cent, anyone who enters the industry they would help,” Ms Hillman added.
“I do see people leaving [the industry] because of skill shortages, being overworked and just not having the work-life balance … there’s a lot of that pressure.”
